Author: Vikka Abat-Francisco

2025 Nissan Patrol launched in the Philippines: photos, specs, prices

Nissan Philippines has launched the all-new 2025 Nissan Patrol, introducing its seventh-generation model. This latest version brings a bold new design, advanced technology, a powerful engine, and premium features that elevate comfort, safety, and performance. Power and Performance At the heart of the 2025 Nissan Patrol is a 3.5-liter Twin-Turbo V6 engine, generating 431 PS and 700 Nm of torque. This powerhouse is mated to a 9-speed automatic transmission, ensuring smooth acceleration, better fuel efficiency, and improved performance across various terrains. The Patrol also features an Adaptive Air Suspension, which enhances ride comfort and handling, making it adaptable for both city drives and off-road adventures. The intelligent 4WD system offers multiple terrain modes, optimizing power distribution to ensure maximum traction and stability in different driving conditions. Whether cruising on highways or tackling rough trails, the Patrol is engineered to deliver a confident and capable ride. Exterior and Design Enhancements The all-new Nissan Patrol exudes a commanding presence with its larger V-motion grille, flanked by Double C-shaped LED headlights for a modern and aggressive look. The sculpted body lines enhance aerodynamics, while a sleek LED light bar at the rear adds a sophisticated touch. Its robust stance reflects its legendary capability, with high ground clearance and a strong frame built to handle demanding terrains. The large alloy wheels further contribute to its premium, rugged appeal. Luxurious and Tech-Loaded Interior Step inside the new Patrol, and you’re greeted by a luxurious, high-tech cabin. The 28.6-inch Monolith Display, composed of two 14.3-inch screens, serves as the digital control center, offering seamless access to navigation, entertainment, and vehicle settings. The dual 12.8-inch rear displays allow passengers to enjoy movies and content on the go, while the 12-speaker Klipsch Premium Audio System delivers an immersive, concert-like sound experience. Premium materials such as high-quality leather, soft-touch surfaces, and elegant wood trims create a refined atmosphere. The seats are designed for maximum comfort, featuring multiple adjustments, ventilation, and heating options to ensure an enjoyable ride, even on long journeys. Advanced Safety and Connectivity Features The 2025 Nissan Patrol is packed with cutting-edge driver assistance and safety technologies under the Nissan Intelligent Mobility suite. This includes: ProPILOT Assist – Intelligent driver assistance for smoother, stress-free driving. Intelligent Cruise Control – Maintains a safe distance from vehicles ahead. Intelligent Lane Keep Assist – Helps keep the vehicle centered in its lane. Invisible Hood View – Uses cameras to provide a real-time, transparent-like view of obstacles under the hood, aiding in tight maneuvers and off-road driving. 360-degree Around View Monitor – Offers a bird’s-eye view for easier parking and navigation in tight spaces. Automatic Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection – Adds an extra layer of safety in unexpected situations.   For connectivity, the Patrol is equipped with NissanConnect Services, allowing smartphone integration, remote vehicle access, and real-time safety alerts. Owners can lock/unlock doors, start the engine, and track vehicle status through their mobile devices. Price, Variants, and Availability The 2025 Nissan Patrol is priced at PhP 5,385,000 and is available in four elegant color options: Granite Black Everest White Gun Metallic with Black Roof Everest White with Black Roof Customers can visit the South Court of Power Plant Mall, Rockwell Center until March 30, 2025, to see the new Patrol on display. Reservations are now open at Nissan dealerships nationwide or through www.nissan.ph/patrol.   Photos by Joash Maramara

realme 14 Series 5G now in PH, priced

After making waves at MWC 2025 with its color-changing design, MagicGlow Triple Flash, and underwater capabilities, the all-new realme 14 Series 5G has officially landed in the Philippines. The launch was streamed live on realme’s official Facebook page, marking its highly anticipated local debut. The latest Series, which includes the realme 14 Pro+ 5G and realme 14 Pro 5G, provides impressive mobile photography capabilities, a sophisticated design, and various features for a complete smartphone experience. The realme 14 Series 5G is meticulously crafted to meet the Squad’s diverse needs and dynamic lifestyles. Expertly crafted for work, play, and everything in between, the realme 14 Series 5G is the ultimate daily smartphone. The realme 14 Pro+ 5G, powered by Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 and equipped with a 6000mAh Massive Battery, delivers smooth performance and stunning photography with its Triple Sony Camera System and MagicGlow Triple Flash. On the flip side, the realme 14 Pro 5G, featuring the Dimensity 7300 Energy 5G Processor, ensures seamless productivity. Its 50MP Sony IMX882 OIS main camera supports underwater photography, making it ideal for content creators and photography enthusiasts. Overall, the realme 14 Series 5G guarantees Triple Clarity in Every Shot, delivering exceptional photo quality in any setting or environment. Equipped with advanced camera features such as Night Photography for low-light brilliance, Underwater Mode for seamless aquatic captures, AI Snap Mode for intelligent scene optimization, and Telephoto for precise long-range shots, it ensures that every moment is captured with stunning detail and clarity. First-Selling Offers and Availability Available in stylish Pearl White and Suede Grey colors, the realme 14 Series 5G debuts with competitive pricing: P27,999 SRP for the realme 14 Pro+ 5G (12GB+512GB) and P21,999 SRP for the realme 14 Pro 5G (12GB+256GB). To officially welcome the newest addition to its Number Series, realme is treating the Squad to exciting first-selling promos. Fans who visit any realme physical store nationwide from March 20-30, 2025, can grab the realme 14 Series 5G and receive a FREE TechLife Bluetooth Speaker 2 worth P1,799. Additionally, there are offline-exclusive offers from March 20-30, 2025. Customers can avail themselves of an 18-month installment term at 0% interest using Home Credit and Credit Card. Furthermore, at select realme Offline Stores, customers can participate in a “Spin The Wheel” event for a chance to win exciting prizes, including a realme Watch S2, realme Pad, realme Pad Mini, or a TechLife Bluetooth Sensor Speaker on March 21-23 and March 28-30, 2025. Meanwhile, great deals also await online shoppers until March 27, 2025. The realme TikTok Shop offers the realme 14 Pro+ 5G for as low as P25,363. This is bundled with a FREE realme Watch S2 with a steel wristband worth P4,499 while supplies last. Similarly, the realme Shopee Flagship Store has the realme 14 Pro 5G available for as low as P19,499, along with a FREE realme Watch S2 with a silicone wristband worth P3,999.

Smartphone camera tech showed off at MWC 2025

This year’s Mobile World Congress (MWC) has once again proven to be the ultimate stage for groundbreaking (sometimes weird) innovations in technology. As the world’s largest exhibition for the mobile industry, MWC showcases both conceptual advancements and market-ready devices, giving us a glimpse into the future of smartphones. This year, we some some interesting reimaginations of familiar concepts for smartphone photography. From modular optical systems to AI-powered enhancements, here are the most exciting smartphone camera innovations unveiled at MWC 2025. Xiaomi’s Modular Optical System Xiaomi introduced a revolutionary Modular Optical System, a concept designed to bring DSLR-like capabilities to smartphones. Similar to the SONY QX lenses launched in 2013 as well as more recent systems like SwitchLens, Xiaomi improves on this tech with the use of magnets. The system features a detachable 35mm f/1.4 prime lens and a Micro Four Thirds (M4/3) image sensor, which attaches magnetically to the phone via Xiaomi’s LaserLink Communication technology. This setup allows users to swap out lenses, much like professional cameras, while maintaining the computational photography benefits of smartphones. While this concept is not yet slated for mass production, Xiaomi’s innovation highlights a future where mobile cameras could rival dedicated mirrorless cameras in both flexibility and quality. Realme’s Interchangeable-Lens Concept and AI Features realme is also treading down the same path as Xiaomi with its prototype interchangeable-lens smartphone.  Similar to the Modular Optical System, realme’s concept phone enables users to attach DSLR-grade lenses directly to their device. The prototype uses a customized 1-inch Sony sensor paired with a proprietary lens mount system. During the event, realme demonstrated the system with 73mm portrait and 234mm telephoto lenses, showcasing the potential for professional-grade mobile photography. In addition, Realme unveiled a suite of AI-powered imaging tools, including voice-based photo editing and a video eraser tool that can remove unwanted objects from footage. While the interchangeable-lens system remains a concept, Realme’s AI advancements will likely make their way into upcoming smartphones. nubia Focus 2 Ultra ZTE’s nubia Focus 2 Ultra’s innovation is something a little more realistic. Also a photography-focused smartphone, the nubia Focus 2 Ultra introduces a rotatable lens ring, allowing users to shift between different focal lengths seamlessly instead of tapping on focal lengths on the UI. Paired with the NEOVISION AI Photography System, this unique feature enhances both portrait and landscape shooting by optimizing image clarity and focus. The device is also compatible with a dedicated camera grip, mimicking the ergonomics of a traditional camera. Unlike some of the other concepts at MWC, the nubia Focus 2 Ultra is confirmed to launch in select markets, priced at €299, making high-end mobile photography more accessible. Xiaomi 15 Ultra: Leica-Powered Imaging Excellence Something mobile photography enthusiasts can definitely look forward to is the Xiaomi 15 Ultra. Launched and already rolling out to global markets, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra showcases an impressive Leica-engineered quad-camera system. The four cameras available cover 14mm to 100mm focal lengths and include a 50MP primary sensor, an ultra-wide lens, and dual telephoto lenses. What sets the 15 Ultra apart from other current smartphones is its attachable lenses and shutter buttons, providing an old-school camera experience while integrating Xiaomi’s cutting-edge computational photography. Other camera tech at MWC Samsung’s AI-Enhanced Camera Innovations Samsung’s Galaxy S25 series introduced AI-powered camera enhancements, including multi-frame processing that differentiates between moving and static subjects for sharper images. Additionally, the 50MP ultra-wide sensor and AI remosaic technology improve image clarity and color reproduction. Google’s Accolades for Pixel 9 Pro and Gemini AI Google’s Pixel 9 Pro won “Smartphone of the Year” at MWC 2025, recognized for its industry-leading camera software and computational photography. Meanwhile, Gemini AI, Google’s latest AI assistant, earned the “Breakthrough Innovation in Devices” award for its advanced image recognition and editing capabilities. Nothing’s Phone (3a) and (3a) Pro Nothing unveiled the Phone (3a) and (3a) Pro, which feature AI-assisted photography and information space that dynamically adjusts settings based on lighting conditions. These devices offer high-quality imaging at a mid-range price point, catering to budget-conscious users. Final thoughts Mobile photography is only getting more sophisticated and advanced as each day passes. It’s nice to see companies exploring and refining older concepts, like interchangeable lenses, adopting them for today’s technology. While the most interesting concept phones, like Xiaomi’s Modular Optical System and realme’s interchangeable lenses, probably won’t be making it to market any time soon, it’s still very promising to see what the future has in store. We can, at least, enjoy devices like the Xiaomi 15 Ultra which still give a very premium mobile photography experience compared to others.

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